Qatar is expanding workplace flexibility measures for working parents, with changes covering maternity leave, flexible working hours and remote-work arrangements as part of a broader effort to support family stability and work-life balance.
According to family consultant Youssef Al Suwaidi, the measures align with the Ministry of Social Development and Family’s 2025–2030 strategy, which places greater emphasis on strengthening families and supporting women’s participation in the workforce.
Al Suwaidi said the reforms include expanded maternity leave, workplace support for women and remote-working options for employees with special-care needs.
Under the current framework, maternity leave is set at 90 days and can be extended to six months in special circumstances.
Qatar expands flexible working arrangements
Following a pilot programme, Qatar’s Cabinet approved Circular No. 6 of 2025, allowing Qatari mothers and mothers of Qatari children to leave work two hours early during mid-year school holidays and during mid-term and final examination periods in both semesters.
The government had earlier introduced a flexible arrival window between 6:30 am and 8:30 am in September 2024, giving employees greater control over their start times.
Government entities can also allow employees to work remotely for up to one week each year, with the arrangement available to a maximum of 30% of employees within each organisational unit.
Additional flexibility is available to mothers with children under the age of 12. They can access up to one month of remote work annually, providing greater scope to manage childcare and other family responsibilities.
However, the flexibility provisions do not apply to positions that require continuous operations.
Focus on working women
The reforms are partly informed by research from the Doha International Family Institute (DIFI), which examined the pressures faced by working families, including the impact of long working hours.
According to research cited in the report, 38.4% of working women expressed dissatisfaction with their working hours, highlighting the demand for greater flexibility in managing professional and family responsibilities.
The latest measures are intended to ease some of these pressures while supporting women's participation in the workforce and improving work-life balance.
Qatar's family-focused workplace policies also form part of the country's broader objectives under Qatar National Vision 2030, which includes strengthening workforce capabilities and supporting family stability.
For employers, the measures point to a continued shift towards more flexible approaches to work, particularly within the government sector, as Qatar seeks to balance workforce participation with family responsibilities.